MMA Fighting brings you TUF Nations Finale play-by-play and more for the Bisping vs. Kennedy fight card. Tonight’s event is headlined by a fight between Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy. This bout is scheduled for five, five-minute rounds. Also appearing on the main card are Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy, Patrick Cote vs. Kyle Noke, Sheldon Westcott vs. Elias Theodorou, Chad Laprise vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier, and Dustin Poirier vs. Akira Corassani. Tonight’s fights take place at the Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
This is the TUF Nations Finale undercard live blog for the TUF Nations Finale event at the Colisee Pepsi at Quebec City, Quebec.
There will be eight fights on the TUF Nations Finale undercard. Sam Stout vs. KJ Noons, Sarah Kaufman vs. Leslie Smith, Ryan Jimmo vs. Sean O’Connell, George Roop vs. Dustin Kimura, Mark Bocek vs. Mike de la Torre, Nordine Taleb vs. Vik Grujic, Richard Walsh vs. Chris Indich, and Mitch Gagnon vs. Tim Gorman will be featured on the prelims.
Check out the TUF Nations Finale undercard live blog below.
Mitch Gagnon vs. Tim Gorman
Round 1: Referee Dan Miragliotta kicks our afternoon off. Both fighters open orthodox. Gagnon working his left straight. Gorman connects on a solid kick to the midsection. Gagnon rips a hook into Gorman’s ribs. That hurt Gorman, and he clinches. Gagnon sprawls away and catches Gorman in a front headlock. Gagnon drops down for a guillotine. Gorman staying busy defending. Gagnon still working for an arm-in guillotine but nothing doing. He finally gives it up. Gagnon wades forward and digs another hook to the body. Gorman blocks a high kick. Gagnon continually going to the body with hooks and kicks. Gorman hunts for a single, can’t get it, but muscles Gagnon against the fence. Miragliotta breaks ‘em apart. Big exchange closes us out. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Gagnon.
Round 2: Gagnon comes out jabbing, then throws out a high kick for good measure. Gagnon storms forward and connects on a nice uppercut to the ribs. Gorman works for a single. He switches to a double, back to a single, but he can’t get it. Gagnon slips in a standing guillotine and Gorman backs out. Gorman recommits to the double but finds himself threatening by another guillotine. Gorman drops to his back and Gagnon begins to work from his guard. Gorman escapes to his feet but eats a few knees to the jaw on his way up. Big exchange and now Gorman goes back to the doubleleg attempt. No dice. Gorman escapes another guillotine attempt and winds up in top position, but Gagnon is relentless with his submission attempts. Gorman breaks free of a triangle and settles into half guard. Lots of work there to get into a basic position. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Gagnon. (20-18 Gagnon.)
Round 3: Gagnon switches things up and immediately trips Gorman to the canvas. Gagnon postures up but Gorman uses the space to roll to his feet. Gorman working on a single leg against the fence, but he can’t get it. Gagnon breaks free and blasts Gorman with a combination. Gagnon sprawls away from the clinch. Gorman eating straight punches and knees but still pressing forward. Gagnon finds his back against the fence. Big Dan separates it. Gagnon dives inside and turns the corner on an easy double leg. Gorman’s corner imploring their fighter to “make something happen.” Gorman throws up his legs for a triangle but it’s no good. Short elbow from Gagnon, and another. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Gagnon. (30-27 Gagnon.)
Mitch Gagnon def. Tim Gorman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Richard Walsh vs. Chris Indich
Round 1: Phillipe Chartier is our referee. Walsh stalking early. Indich shrugs off an early double leg attempt. Walsh looking for the inside trip but he can’t get it. Walsh dives inside again and this time he gets the takedown. Indich climbs to his feet and seizes a standing guillotine. Walsh powers out quickly and now he’s in top position. Indich uses the cage to climb back to his feet but he’s still pressed against the fence. Walsh dumps Indich on his back, but it’s short-lived. We’re back to the center of the cage. Single leg from Walsh and he dumps Indich right into side control. Indich scrambles out and stands. Walsh back in on a single and he gets it, but Indich catches a tight guillotine. Walsh slowly works out. Nice upkick from Indich. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Walsh.
Round 2: Big left hand right off the bat from Walsh. Walsh swarms with punches. Indich survives but Walsh continues to muscle him up against the fence. A few short elbows land from Walsh. Indich breaks free. Right hand stumbles Indich for a second. Walsh connects with a kick to the midsection. Stiff jab from Walsh, followed up by a straight right. Indich looks tired. Walsh breaks off the clinch and lands a flurry. Good series of short inside elbows land flush for Walsh. Indich is getting blasted by these elbows. Walsh starts unloading a few knees to the body. Looked like he was on the verge of breaking Indich there. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Walsh. (20-18 Walsh.)
Round 3: Walsh easily evades a one-two and answers with a flurry. Indich eats a few short punches against the fence, then reverses. Walsh successfully trips Indich to the mat, landing in half guard. Indich stands but Walsh is relentless with his pressure. Big knees to the body for Walsh. Walsh counters a takedown attempt and wrestles Indich to the floor, taking his back. Walsh rains down a few punches, then misses with a knee to the head as Indich stands. Chartier wants action. Walsh connects with a short right off the break. Not much offense here to close us out. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Walsh. (30-27 Walsh.)
Richard Walsh def. Chris Indich via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nordine Taleb vs. Vik Grujic
Round 1: Referee Dan Miragliotta is the man in charge here. Grujic whiffs on a lunging left. Both guys staying patient and measuring their distance. Grujic eats a jab. Not much action here so far. Grujic wades inside but Taleb counterwrestles and secures a takedown. Taleb settles into Grujic’s guard. Taleb postures up and unloads a few short elbows. Grujic tries to scramble to his feet but Taleb is stifling. One last scramble from Grujic works as he climbs to his feet. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Taleb.
Round 2: Taleb catches a lunging side kick and hoists Grujic into the air, slamming him down to the mat. Taleb working inside Grujic’s guard. Grujic backs out and stands. Taleb beats Grujic up a bit inside the clinch then secures a nice trip into top position. Taleb advances to half guard and unloads a few short punches. Taleb not giving an inch here. Grujic eats a series of elbows. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Taleb. (20-18 Taleb.)
Round 3: Grujic storms forward with a flurry but can’t connect. Grujic stuffs a double leg attempt. Taleb kicks low, and again. Taleb eats a stiff left then shucks off a telegraphed takedown attempt. Taleb working from top position now, and given recent history, we could be here for the rest of the fight. Taleb shifts into half guard and goes to work with short punches. Grujic just can’t get anything going. Big left elbow smashes Grujic in the cheek. To his credit, Grujic is trying to escape. He just can’t. Another big elbow from Taleb. Grujic’s forehead explodes with blood as another elbow opens up a gaping cut. Grujic is drenched in crimson. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Taleb. (30-27 Taleb.)
Nordine Taleb def. Vik Gruijic via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mark Bocek vs. Mike de la Torre
Round 1: We’re going to refer to de la Torre as DLT for brevity’s sake. Alright? Alright. Yves Lavigne is our referee. They’re firing early and Bocek lands a big right. Bocek works his way to DLT’s back. DLT squirms out and trips Bocek to the mat. DLT swarms with punches but Bocek climbs back to his feet. Bocek and DLT trading trip attempts along the fence. Bocek breaks free and cracks DLT with a right. They’re trading! DLT eats a shot and fires back with a looping right. Bocek dives inside but can’t connect. Both men connect with straight rights. Close round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Bocek.
Round 2: DLT pumps his jab. Bocek lunges inside and gets deep on a double. He gets it, but DLT pops right back to his feet. Bocek continues to work for the takedown. Short elbow from Bocek. Finally Bocek breaks off the clinch. DLT finds a home for an left uppercut, and another. Bocek changes levels but can’t get DLT to the ground. John Crouch calls for an uppercut and DLT obliges. DLT really starting to open up now. Another big uppercut for DLT. Bocek fires back with a straight right. Each guy picking and popping here. DLT closes the distance but Bocek reverses against the fence. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 de la Torre. (19-19 overall.)
Round 3: Bocek’s face is battered. DLT cracks him with a flurry. Bocek bulldogs forward and blasts DLT off his feet with a double, but DLT immediately stands and disengages. DLT connecting from the outside. Bocek closes the distance again but can’t do anything. Bocek dives back inside then eats a big right off the break. Bocek fires back. Big exchange and DLT fights off a takedown attempt. Huge right for Bocek, who transitions right onto DLT’s back. Bocek unloads a few short elbows then slithers in a last-second rear-naked choke attempt. Good fight. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Bocek. (29-28 Bocek.)
Mark Bocek def. Mike de la Torre via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
George Roop vs. Dustin Kimura
Round 1: Phillippe Chartier is our referee. Roop the aggressor early, using his length to pick away with jabs and high kicks. Kimura catches a body kick and muscles Roop up against the fence hunting for a single. He gets it, then postures up and catches Roop in a front headlock. Roop stands and gets in deep on his own double. Nothing doing there. Roop hits his own trip and begins to work from inside Kimura’s guard. True to his name, Kimura hunting for submission attempts from the bottom but he can’t find one. Big elbow from Roop. And another. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Roop.
Round 2: Roop wades inside and whiffs on a looping flurry. Roop pops Kimura with a left hook coming inside. Roop and Kimura continue to trade single shots from the outside. Kimura dives and gets in deep on a double. Roop stands, but Kimura is still working on a single. He gets it, then hops right onto Roop’s back. Kimura sinks in his left hook, and now the right. Roop nearly gives up full mount but instead scrambles to his feet. Roop hunting for a takedown from within the clinch. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kimura. (19-19 overall.)
Round 3: Roop instantly gets the takedown and settles inside Kimura’s guard. Roop going to work with short elbows and punches. Kimura throws up his legs for a sub attempt but is stifled. Massive elbow from Roop. No clue how that didn’t cut Kimura. Kimura needs to do something drastic here. Roop rains down a few right hammerfists. Roop scoots Kimura away from the fence and advances into half guard. Kimura regains his guard but he needs to get up. Roop crushes his right elbow into the brow of Kimura. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Roop. (29-28 Roop.)
George Roop def. Dustin Kimura via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-26)
Ryan Jimmo vs. Sean O’Connell
Round 1: Referee Dan Miragliotta oversees the action. O’Connell ducks under a high kick and turns a Jimmo slip into a takedown. Jimmo scrambles back to his feet but O’Connell muscles him against the fence. Jimmo reverses and pops O’Connell in the face with a knee. Jimmo blasts O’Connell with a right. O’Connell fires back and smashes a pair of straight rights into Jimmo’s jaw. O’Connell working from the clinch here, hunting for a trip. Low blow sidelines Jimmo for a moment, but after a quick break, we’re back. Jimmo gets a blast double but O’Connell pops back to his feet and clinches. Miragliotta splits up the action, and right away Jimmo just DESTROYS O’Connell with a counter right. Wow. A few more follow-up shots and this one is over.
Ryan Jimmo def. Sean O’Connell via KO (punch) at 4:27 of round one
Sarah Kaufman vs. Leslie Smith
Round 1: Yves Lavigne is our referee. This should be a good one. They’re slugging it out already. Smith ties up and eats a few knees. Kaufman kicks out Smith’s leg but Smith pops back up. Big flurry and Kaufman gets the better of it. Smith closes the distance but winds up with her back against the fence. Smith reverses and Kaufman connects off the break. Kaufman blasts Smith with a right, followed by another flurry. Smith just eating it and stalking forward. Kaufman working short knees from the clinch. Smith eats a big right, and another. Smith and Kaufman both stand and trade with no regard for their own well being. Kaufman’s getting the better of these exchanges. Smith wards off a trip attempt and fires back with a high kick. Great round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kaufman.
Round 2: They pick up right where they left off, slugging it out in the center of the Octagon. Smith closes the distance and they battle in the clinch picks up. Kaufman throws a big combination of the break. Kaufman goes over the top then inside with uppercuts. Smith misses with a high kick. Kaufman rips a knee to the body. Smith continues to fire but there’s not much behind her strikes and she’s eating a few punches for every one she’s delivering. Kaufman stalks forward and reengages the clinch for a few knees. Smith works for a single against the fence but she can’t get it. Kaufman rockets a right uppercut into Smith’s jaw then follows up with another combination. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kaufman. (20-18 Kaufman.)
Round 3: Immediately to the clinch, and Smith connects on a few looping punches. Kaufman fires back then grabs the Thai plum. Smith backs out and eats a straight punch. Kaufman wades inside with uppercuts, then goes back to knees to the midsection. Big exchange and they’re back to slugging it out. Huge right hand from Kaufman! Big shots all around. Kaufman bulls Smith against the fence. Kaufman nearly downs Smith with an inside leg kick. Kaufman trips Smith to the canvas, landing in side control. Kaufman scrambles to a backside crucifix. Smith slowly climbs to her feet but eats another big flurry for her troubles. Fun fight. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kaufman. (30-27 Kaufman.)
Sarah Kaufman def. Leslie Smith via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sam Stout vs. K.J. Noons
Round 1: Phillipe Cartier is our referee for this final preliminary contest. Stout testing the waters with low kick so far. Noons goes over the top with a gigantic right hook that just ends Stout. WOW. KJ Noons finishes his handiwork and Stout has no idea where he his. That was wild. Stout just tried to guillotine the referee.
K.J. Noons def. Sam Stout via KO (punch) at :30 of round one